Great route I loved the San Fran, San Diego, Vegas triangle. Ragtop Camaro FTW, you just squeeze three men and light luggage in!
The three of us booked the first hotel and the last one, all the others we just barrelled up at night to hotels & motels. There was only one night where we even came close to sleeping in the car and that was in SF. Did the same thing in The Deep South and only got one raw deal, Gainesville, WORST MOTEL EVER. Smelt of murder, empty pool with growing algae, 110 degrees at night with a rattley AC unit that didn't blow cold air and sheets with bloodstains